Flax field at A2R Farms

We first met grass seed farmers Clint Lindsey and his dad Mike Robinson of A2R Farms last fall. Grass seed sales had plummeted because of the recession and their bank had started foreclosure proceedings. Lindsey and Robinson had worked out a farm plan to grow more food crops than grass seed and Julie Tilt, co-owner of Hummingbird Wholesale, a natural foods distributor in Eugene, had agreed to testify that she would buy as much of it as possible.

After two more hearings, the bank and A2R settled on a payment plan and A2R’s grass seed finally sold. Lindsey and Robinson also drew up a tight budget for coming seasons. The judge was supportive of their new plans, though their farm supply creditor still has an eyebrow arched over them. Every business faces forces beyond their control but farmers are at even higher risk because of weather. It can make or break a year’s work fairly quickly, thus creditors are understandably nervous. Another vote of confidence was a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grant the farm was awarded to encourage the organic practices they’ve initiated.

A2R Farms is much more diversified now, which is added insurance in case one crop doesn’t do as well as anticipated. They’re also transitioning some acreage towards organic certification.

A2R is one of a small group of farmers in the Southern Willamette Bean & Grain Project, taking the first bold steps to move away from increasingly unreliable and anonymous markets to focus on local ones. Farms growing non-perishable crops (grains, grass seed, etc.) rarely know what they’ll be paid at harvest, let alone where their crops end up. If they have lots of storage capability (an expense few farmers can afford) they can sell when the price is best, though one never knows if it will go still higher – it’s always a gamble. Grass seed contracts are notoriously unreliable, but when your soil and equipment are best suited for that, it’s not easy to change. Grain prices can fluctuate wildly, sometimes not even covering costs. Focusing on local markets and eliminating several middlemen gives the farmer a fairer price and allows consumers to trace their food sources.

Changing a farm’s course in the middle of a recession is regarded as either genius or insanity. But, Lindsey and Robinson now know where most of their crops will go when harvested so have a better idea of what price they’ll get. It should be a fairer than what open “commodity” markets bring.

It sounds easy enough – just sell locally instead of trucking, say, your wheat to the one elevator in Portland that takes it anymore. But, it’s not that simple. Processing some of the crops will be the biggest challenge. “There’s a very steep learning curve to a lot of these,” commented Robinson when Lindsey described netting and hulling sunflower seeds, cleaning flax seed, and shelling/cleaning walnuts. How does one clean light-as-a feather flax seed without crushing it? Where can they polish their garbanzo beans?

Fortunately, their grass seed cleaning equipment can, with minor modification, clean grain crops. It’s been certified to process organic crops so is a service the farm can sell or trade. They lack other processing equipment and are looking to buy it or trade services.

Hull-less oats before planting

One bit of processing will be eliminated by growing hull-less oats, what Lindsey calls “naked oats.” A2R has grown regular oats for years and sold them right off the field to a broker who had an immediate market. Regular oats, Lindsey explained, must be hulled and roasted right after rolling or they go rancid. Hull-less oats don’t. “The yield is lower,” he said, “but if you can bypass a lot of the processing, it’s worth it.”

The crop with the potential of bringing the highest price per pound wasn’t even on the planting list. One day Lindsey realized the four huge walnut trees in their yard yielded far more than the family has ever used. He called Julie at Hummingbird to see if she’d be interested. She was very interested. Of course the price will be better if the nuts are shelled and cleaned – another puzzle to solve by fall.

The other speed bump is waiting for USDA organic certification. The walnuts have never been sprayed or fertilized. Lindsey applied for certification months ago but the application is sitting on a desk in some USDA office, awaiting review. The price difference that piece of paper represents is significant.

Another thing that seems simple to non-farmers but can leave farmers tossing and turning at night is crop rotation. It’s a big part of organic certification. Certain crops benefit from following others and crops can’t be repeated on the same parcel each year. “Rotation isn’t always easy,” Lindsey said, “because the quality of the ground and how wet it gets determines what grows best there.” That’s one reason A2R will still grow some grass seed – it does well in wet soil that grains don’t.

Another way to insure a steady supply and smooth crop rotation is by farmers coordinating their plantings. That’s starting to happen, though it’s yet another risk for farmers establishing a new paradigm. Still, those in the Bean & Grain Project willing to try are cautiously optimistic.

If these farmers succeed in choreographing a steady supply of food for the growing number of consumers interested in local foods, and if processing and storage facilities are built, and an efficient distribution system established they will override the chancy market system that has ruled for decades.

That’s a lot of “ifs,” but the reward for both farmers and consumers is local fair trade for all involved. Consumers need to understand that what farms like A2R grow may not be available every year, be it because of weather or rotation requirements. We may have to adjust our diets according to availability and plan ahead by buying in quantity and storing non-perishables ourselves.

Lindsey has a blogspot where you can get details on their crops and follow their adventures. I highly recommend it for a peek into your farmers world. Who knows, some of the crops you see in Lindsey’s photos may be on your plate the very near future. Check it out at: http://corvallisfarmer.blogspot.com

Photos courtesy of Clinton Lindsey